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Dance troupes perform at Paramus mall to raise awareness about mental illness

From NorthJersey.com – January 25, 2014

VIOREL FLORESCU/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Young dancers with Paramus Stigma-Free Zone performing at Paramus Park mall on Saturday.

Art and health collided at the Paramus Park mall on Saturday when four dance troupes performed a contemporary routine titled “Let’s Help” to raise awareness about mental illness.

The event was organized by Paramus Stigma-Free Zone, a recently formed group that works to remove negative thoughts that often surround mental illness, which might dissuade people from seeking treatment.

More than 20 percent of Americans will experience a mental disorder each year, but nearly half will not seek treatment, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“We need to spread the word and accept the fact that it is an illness,” said Mary Ann Uzzi, the group’s founder. “When someone has cancer you don’t tell them to shake it off. But when someone has a mental illness, people say it all the time.” Read more…